Covid booster shots: How to get updated vaccines targeting omicron subvariants
The CDC has recommended updated Covid booster shots from Pfizer and Moderna. The shots target the original virus and omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Thursday that teenagers and adults get updated booster shots from Pfizer or Moderna. The shots — also known as bivalent vaccines —are designed to target both the original coronavirus strain and the currently circulating omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5.
The decision follows a similar recommendation from a panel of independent advisers to the CDC, which voted in favor of the shots Thursday.
The CDC's recommendation means the shots can now be administered to the public. But a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said people likely won't start getting updated boosters until after Labor Day.
After that, appointment availability is expected to ramp up over several days, with appointments becoming more broadly available in a few weeks, a senior administration official said. People will be able to search for the closest sites offering updated boosters at Vaccines.gov.
Here's what to know about the updated shots.
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